If Ever Two Were One
by The Lady Grace
Summary: A series of one-shots based off of the song If Ever Two Were One. Tiva, fluffy. Chapter 4: Gift
1. Ever After

**This is the start of a new one-shot series, based off the beautiful song If Ever Two Were One, based off of two poems written by Anne Bradstreet to her husband. The lyrics are powerful, and I am writing a total of five one-shots based off it. For those of you who read my one-shot collection A Boy and A Girl, these will be similar and touch on some moments we didn't see in that set. These will make more sense if you read those first.**

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><p><em>If ever two were one, than surely we.  If ever one were loved by other, thee. / If ever love could for a lifetime span, / compare with me, all ye lovers, if ye can./_

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><p>"Why did this work?" Ziva asked out of the blue.<p>

Tony took his eyes off the road to glance at his fiancée. She was sitting in the passenger seat, head resting against the head rest, eyes closed. If he had not heard her speak, he would have assumed she was sleeping. Today had been her first day back after the car chase and their engagement, and it had been trying. Part of it had been that Ziva wasn't back to 100% after her concussion, no matter how she tried to fake it. Luckily for everyone, it had been a cold cases day.

"Why did what work, sweetcheeks?" Tony returned, confused by the question.

"You, me, us together - why did it work? Why are we engaged and not trying to kill each other?" she clarified, eyes still closed.

Ah, that Tony could answer. "Well, for one thing, we had an awful long time being at odds with one another and a whole lot to go through before we got here. But instead of driving us apart our differences brought us closer. It made us into the best partners ever," he finished the statement with a silly grin which earned a weak chuckle from her.

"We perfected each other. Well, maybe 'perfected' isn't the right word," Tony said before she could correct him, "but I know I've matured a lot because of you, and I flatter myself that I've smoothed over some of the rougher edges in your sparkling personality. They say good marriages work that way, and since soon enough we'll be married, we've got a head start. Plus we already know each other's annoying habits."

The thought of actually being married was still an exciting one, even though he'd been the one to propose four times. "We've had good times, bad times," _really bad times_, he thought, "and gotten through them together. Relationships are partnerships, and face it Zee," he said without turning to glance at her, "we've tested ours more times than a student has to take standardized tests. That lovely ring on your finger says we passed."

"As well as the fact that I have not killed you yet," Ziva said, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"So if anyone was ever meant to be together, it was us," Tony continued, ignoring the implied threat. "I dare you to think of even one of your past partners who can measure up. I am, after all, a very special agent."

They both laughed, and the sound of it carried them home.

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><p>Today was their first day back at work after Gibbs had caught them together. Based on the fact they had received no ear-piercing squeals through the phone from their resident forensics expert, their boss had left it to them to tell their co-workers. They had debated over keeping the secret a while longer, but then Ziva had pointed out that if they wanted anyone at their wedding, they had to tell sooner rather than later. Tony agreed that the team needed to know.<p>

Abby was already in the know of course, but Ziva had asked that she keep it to herself for the time being. The Goth pouted - she was doubtless already planning their wedding and feeling put out at having to keep quiet – but nonetheless she reluctantly respected their wishes. However, since neither of them liked an unhappy Abby, they decided to tell their surrogate family together. After the team announcement, they would call their respective fathers and brace themselves for the fallout. Tony dreaded telling Eli as their past interactions hadn't all been friendly, but at least telling Senior he was engaged would (hopefully) stop the older man from flirting with Ziva. Not that Tony could fault his father's taste in the least, but Ziva belonged to the junior DiNozzo.

The elevator rose to the 3rd floor, and just before they reached their destination, the emergency switch was flipped and they kissed swiftly for luck. Tony switched the elevator back on and when the doors opened they were happy to see Ducky and Jimmy loitering in the bullpen as they often did when there were no cases and no sign of Gibbs.

"Any last words Zee-vah?" Tony murmured as they approached the bullpen.

"Yes, they had better not think this is a falsehat," Ziva whispered back.

"Falsehood, Ziva. It's a falsehood, not a falsehat," Tony corrected her, speaking louder this time.

McGee heard him, and turned to look quizzically at him. "What's a falsehood Tony?" he asked.

Tony and Ziva could have groaned aloud. This was not how they had wanted to start this conversation. They stopped together in the open area between all their desks. Junior field agent, medical examiner and assistant, as well as many of the other third floor occupants were watching and Tony felt a hundred times as nervous as before.

Biting the proverbial bullet, Tony said "Guys, Ziva and I have something to tell you. I asked her to marry me, and she said yes." As he uttered the words, Ziva reached out and took his hand in a tight, reassuring grip.

Silence and shocked expressions greeted the announcement. McGee was the first to speak, disbelief obvious on his face. "You…you must be joking. That isn't funny Tony," he said.

The couple exchanged glances. They had decided ahead of time there were two responses to unbelief. Her small smirk told him method number one would be acceptable this time. He winked in reply then reached over, cupping the back of her head and bending her back in a dramatic kiss like in one of his movies.

One of the first thing new staffers and agents were warned about were the members of Gibbs' MCRT, with the former Mossad agent's temper chief among the warnings given. Anybody who was around for any length of time knew that if something was done to Ziva that she didn't like, her repayment was swift and painful. So to their audience, the fact that Ziva was kissing Gibbs' second in command back and not ripping him limb-from-limb was enough confirmation that they were indeed telling the truth. It would become one of the many legends surrounding the pair, the day Tony kissed Ziva in the bullpen and lived.

They straightened back up and McGee gaped at them for a second or two more before his face broke into a big grin. He walked over, clapped his surrogate brother on the shoulder and said, "You're going to have to tell the story on this one Tony. It practically deserves its own book. Have you told Abby yet?"

They answered that they had, and that Gibbs knew too. Ducky and Jimmy both offered their congratulations as well as their other friends in the office. Ziva showed off the ring and Abby came up to hug her best friend tightly and inform all of them that they had to start right away on planning the wedding.

Gibbs watched with Director Vance from the balcony. The director was chewing a toothpick as always and when he had gnawed it to bits, he asked the special agent in charge what he thought about the announcement his two agents had made. Leon was familiar with Gibbs' stance on co-workers dating.

"Well, they aren't breaking the rule anymore Leon, it says no dating a co-worker. Doesn't say anything about marrying one," Gibbs replied shortly, before joining the impromptu celebration. The head-slaps he delivered this time were not a reprimand, but a sign of approval.

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><p>"They make the cutest couple, don't you think Tim?" Abby asked as she sat next to McGee during Tony and Ziva's first dance as a married couple. "Sometimes, I look at couples and wonder how in the world they loved each other enough to get married. Then I see people like them and I wonder what took them so long."<p>

McGee laughed. "They are two of the most stubborn people I have ever met. They spent too long convincing themselves it would never work, but look at them now." That thought reminded him of the small box of weighing down his left pocket. Tony had seen it when they were dressing earlier, and the groom had grinned at his best man. "Do it right, and if you're luckier than I was, you'll only have to ask once." Then Tony wished him luck and reminded him that Abby might appreciate a bit of creativity when it came to that most important of questions. McGee appreciated the advice and planned to wait for just the right moment. Now he had to hope he would be able to summon the backbone that served him so well in firefights and interrogations to propose to the woman he loved.

The newly married couple finished their dance and Ziva moved into Gibbs' arms for the father-daughter song, causing several of those in attendance to tear up a bit, especially those who knew just how much it meant to both of them. The floor was then opened up to everyone and McGee let himself be dragged out by Abby so they could dance until it was time for the bouquet toss. Soon all the single women had gathered and the tightly bound bunch of lilies were thrown. Lo and behold, the maid of honor was the one to walk away with flowers in hand and Tim knew the right moment was upon him.

She led him back out onto the dance floor and when the music switched to a slow song he stopped moving, grabbed her hand and got down on one knee. The hand he wasn't holding flew to her mouth and she stared at him as he knelt.

"Abigail Scuito, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met. I let you get away from me once and I've regretted it ever since. Will you marry me so I'll never have to let go again?" he asked earnestly, eyes locked on hers.

She pulled him to his feet and a kiss that left him wearing some of her lipstick was his answer.

The bride and groom didn't mind that the attention was off them for the moment. They stood together on the sidelines, happy for their friends. "You know," Tony whispered in his new wife's ear, "after they broke up, every time someone showed interest in one of them, they got jealous and no one ever measured up. They still cared even if they didn't want to admit it."

"Sound familiar?" Ziva whispered back. "I could name a few times you were very jealous."

"It worked out in the end though, Ziva DiNozzo. You're mine now, forever."

She kissed him gently. "And now we live happily ever after?"

"Happily ever after is boring. I promise you an adventurous ever after, starting with the honeymoon."

"Ready to leave?" she asked, a fire starting to burn in her dark gaze.

"Ready when you are, sweetcheeks."

"Speaking of which, where are we going? You still haven't told me." Not that she didn't trust him, but Ziva did not like being left in the dark.

Tony grinned back. "That's all part of the adventure Mrs. DiNozzo."

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><p><em>If ever two were one, than surely we.  If ever one were loved by other, thee. / If ever love could for a lifetime span, / compare with me, all ye lovers, if ye can./_

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><p><strong>Return of the fluffy plot bunnies! Reviews are wonderful, and very much appreciated. <strong>


	2. You're Worth More

__**Here we go! This one is a result of the plot-bunny. It heard the lines and went nuts. Enjoy!  
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**Much thanks to AliyahNCIS for all her work in betaing this for me.**

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><p><em>I prize thy love more than mites of gold,  or all the riches that the world could hold. / My love is such that rivers cannot quench, / and nothing but thy love give recompense. _

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><p>"Let me get this straight," said a confused Leon Vance, "The FBI is offering you a promotion, a raise and your own team in California, and you're turning them <em>down<em>?"

Tony had no hesitation. "It's not what I want right now. I'm flattered by the offer, of course, but I'm staying at NCIS."

"Are you sure? You might never get another offer like this one," the director cautioned.

_If only you knew,_ thought Tony wryly. It seems directors thought alike. Or maybe it was the chair…. "Never the less, Director, I want to stay with NCIS." He was done beating this horse; Tony had already had this conversation with Fornell, the director of the FBI and now his own director. He had an inkling that he was going to have to explain himself again and again as the juicy news filtered its way through the legendary grapevine of NCIS and the alphabet soup.

He left the office, grateful he'd gotten out before Vance had started into the, "We're glad to have you at NCIS, this is your longest job…" nonsense that the director would have felt obligated to say and Tony simply didn't want to hear.

It seemed the news had already spread into the bullpen. As Tony left the elevator, he was aware of the hush that accompanied him, and the whispers that broke out in his wake. Timothy McGee, recently returned from his own honeymoon with the new Mrs. Abigail McGee, was giving him a strange look as he sat down at his desk. Tony pretended not to notice. He was used to the weird looks he got when he was the newest meat on the gossip chain. It couldn't be any worse than the looks he got after the plague, or the second time they thought he was dead, or one of the times when he was framed for murder. This was a much tamer reason to be talked about.

At least one person was still in the dark, it seemed. His lovely wife came back from the lunch break they would have shared if Vance hadn't called him to the top office. The whispers were following her too, and she looked confused and annoyed. If the gossips weren't careful, the ranks of agents might be thinned by paperclip deaths.

It wasn't until they finally were alone in their home that Ziva brought up the odd behavior of the office that day. "Tony, do you know why everyone was staring at us and whispering all day?" came the disembodied voice of Ziva from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner.

Out on the couch, Tony froze. Although it was phrased as a question, the tone of voice made it abundantly clear it was a demand that he explain, now. He needed to have this talk face to face. Tony muted the TV, rose and joined Ziva in the kitchen. At his entrance, she turned away from the stove and crossed her arms over her chest, clearly waiting for him to begin. He sighed, ran his fingers through his hair and tried to gather his courage.

Ziva quickly lost patience with his stalling. "Why did you not tell me that you were taking a job at the FBI? Does not my opinion matter? Why did you not even ask in the first place? I am your wife, in case you forgot, not to mention your partner! I should have been the first to know you were even considering it! Instead I first get a hint that something is up when our co-workers stare and whisper at us, and I get an irate email from Abby about how the FBI are stealing you from us and that if you try to leave she will kill Fornell without leaving any evidence. Do you not have anything to say for yourself?"

He tried and failed to conceal a grin, which only made her angrier. He could tell she was about to start yelling again, so before she could, Tony crossed the space between them and kissed her. When he let go, she was staring at him. "If you think that kissing me will distract me this time, you are very wrong," Ziva said, still angry. Tony smirked, he thought she was gorgeous when she was angry.

Before this could descend even further, Tony had to correct her. "I turned them down, you know," he said quietly. If he hadn't been watching her, he would have missed how fast she went from angry to apologetic. "Fornell called last night when you were out getting dinner, trying to convince me to change my mind. That 'wrong number' during the movie? It was his director, who it turns out is an old friend of my dad. He wanted to do something nice for my old man, but he didn't get that I wanted to stay here. Then today, when we were supposed to go to lunch and I was going to tell you about it, Vance calls me into his office. I think he wanted me to take the job so he would have one less headache to deal with. I'm too much like Gibbs, which is why the Bureau wanted me in the first place."

Now she was confused. "Why did you turn them down?" she asked.

"Just a second ago you were angry I took the job, now you're asking why I didn't. What gives?" Tony questioned, even though he'd long since given up trying to figure out how her mind worked.

"I was not angry you took the job, you more than deserve it. I was angry we did not discuss it first," Ziva elaborated, which Tony had to agree made sense.

"If I had considered it for more than half a second, we would've discussed it. I wouldn't make such an important decision without you. I have a bunch of reasons why I wasn't going anywhere, and most of them are centered on you. I asked if they would have a job for you, they said no. You could've worked at the NCIS regional office there, but you're the only partner I want. That killed it for me, not to mention our family is here, and while we'd have been closer to Dad, it wasn't worth it."

"Not worth it? Tony, jobs like that don't come along like clockwork, not in this economy. The FBI is better funded than us, you are more than capable of leading your own team and you can have other partners. We've both had other partners before."

"I didn't marry my other partners. The point of the matter is I didn't want to leave you behind. You're worth more than any job."

His words stopped her cold. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Tony reached out and stroked her cheek. "I've almost lost you too many times, I'm never going anywhere if I have a choice. Every time we're apart, bad things happen. I love you so much, and you, Ziva DiNozzo, are more important to me than money, than any job, and way more important than a promotion."

Now they embraced, her face buried against his chest, arms tight around each other, his chin resting on her head. He kissed her forehead, glad that she wasn't angry any more. Even now, after so long, it took some reminding for her to realize just how much she meant to him.

Ziva's voice was muffled by his shirt. "I love you too Tony, but next time, tell me before the infernal gossips get to Abby."

Tony began to laugh. Ziva joined in and they laughed until they realized dinner was still not done and they were hungry. Over delicious pasta, they made fun of how wrong the grapevine had gotten it this time. It ended with Tony promising to tell Abby the truth in the morning and enjoying the image of her overthrowing the FBI without evidence being left behind. He had learned not to question her skills.

_This is so worth it_, Tony thought as they cuddled on the couch, watching one of Ziva's favorite TV shows. _But I already knew that._

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><p><em>I prize thy love more than mites of gold,  or all the riches that the world could hold. / My love is such that rivers cannot quench, / and nothing but thy love give recompense. _

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><p><em><em>**Thanks for reading, and reviews would be appreciated. They leave me smiling and confusing my friends. :)  
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	3. Sunlight

__**New chapter! This is a short one, but I think you'll like it. It takes place before Homecoming and Pictures and Memories from A Boy And A Girl. **

**I wasn't planning to post this just yet, but I found out today I got a summer job, so I decided to post it. **

**Thanks AliyahNCIS for betaing. If you haven't checked out her Remnants of Somalia series, read them. They are amazing.  
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><p><em>Oh strange effect!  Now that thou art gone, / I weary grow the tedious day so long. / But when again to me thou shalt return, / I wish my sun may never set but burn! _

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><p>Ziva DiNozzo wanted to burn the calendar on her refrigerator. It sat there, altogether too cheerful with its pictures of movie stars, empty boxes taunting her with the seemingly endless stretch of days she would be alone.<p>

The rational part of her brain told her that only 90 empty squares were there between now and happiness, that she was already half-way there, but the emotional part cried that it was an eternity. The last three months had dragged on, days of paperwork, interrupted by cases and getting used to a new partner if only temporarily, only to return to the emptiness she was unable to escape.

Home, which before had been filled with life and light now seemed dull with Tony gone. The TV rarely got turned on at all, the DVDs were collecting dust. Ziva's library card, on the other hand, was getting a workout. Evenings lost in the pages of a book were better than evenings poking at the empty place in her heart.

The phone rang, startling her out of her dark thoughts. She reached for it, and answered with a business-like, "Ziva DiNozzo, who is this?"

The line crackled, but her heart leapt at the voice on the other end of the line. "Ziva! It's so good to hear your voice." It was Tony, three months out at sea, serving as an Agent Afloat.

A large grin split her face, and it felt as though the sun now shown through the window, even though it had long since set. "It is good to hear your voice too. How are you?"

"Oh, the usual. Overtired and overworked, desperate for some real food and land. Not to mention the lack of good movies on the ship! Not one classic in three weeks." Some things never changed. Tony wouldn't admit how lonely he was, but Ziva knew the humor was just a cover.

They were both acutely aware that this conversation wouldn't be enough to assuage the loneliness, but with only five minutes to hear each other's voices, Ziva treasured every second of the contact. When the time was up, the last words exchanged were mutual 'I love yous' before the line went dead and all the light vanished from the room in a second.

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><p>The next day at work, there was a letter and a package on her desk. The letter was from Tony, and normally she would have opened and read it right away, then reply before seeing to the work on her desk. The package caught her attention this time. It wasn't postmarked, which set off little warning bells in her head, and she glanced at Gibbs. He surely would have noticed if someone had put it on her desk. He was here earlier than anyone else, even earlier than her. McGee wasn't even in yet, no coat on his chair or coffee on his desk. Gibbs was watching her, an unreadable expression in his blue eyes. He nodded, letting her know without words the package was safe.<p>

Ziva focused back on the mystery wrapped in brown paper. Using Tony's letter opener, left safely in her care, she peeled back the layers. What she found was a wonderful surprise. In what Ziva suspected was a handmade wooden frame was a picture of the team at her wedding. Their family, gathered on what had been a spectacularly happy day. There was a note tucked into the frame, and Ziva recognized the handwriting, even though it wasn't signed. _Half-way's the hardest. Hang in there._

Ziva knew she must be missing Tony and overtired, because the simple gesture put her on the edge of tears. She rarely cried, but this was almost enough. It was fitting, since Gibbs was one of the people who had seen her cry the most besides her husband. A comforting hand rested on her shoulder, and she smiled up at her boss. Gibbs' blue eyes were filled with understanding, and he offered her a rare smile before squeezing her shoulder and returning to his own desk.

Ziva took it as a signal to get to work, but before she embarked on the paperwork waiting for her she put the picture and frame where she could see it as she worked. Somehow, that was enough of a push to keep her focused for the day. Ziva supposed, as she packed up to go home, it was the reminder that Gibbs understood and that Tony would be home soon and they would all smile like that together.

Suddenly, she wanted the three months to be over even more. She wanted Tony home where he was supposed to be, at the desk across from her, in all the little moments, in their home. She knew that when he did come back to her she would, if only in her own heart, shine like the sun - just as she had on their wedding day.

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><p><em>Oh strange effect!  Now that thou art gone, / I weary grow the tedious day so long. / But when again to me thou shalt return, / I wish my sun may never set but burn! _

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, and reviews are a guaranteed day booster.<strong>_  
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	4. Gift

**Hello again! We come to another time period I touched on in A Boy And A Girl. This is roughly the same time as Dreams.**

**AliyahNCIS is an awesome beta and a great writer. Thanks a lot!  
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><p><em>Thy love is such that I cannot repay,  the heavens reward thee manifold I pray. / Then while we live in love let us so preserve, / that when we live no more we may live ever. _

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><p>"This is all your fault," said Ziva one evening.<p>

Tony, who was watching the end of a game on the TV in their room, was startled. As far as he knew, he hadn't done anything majorly wrong today. "What's all my fault Zee-vah?" he asked, confused.

"This!" she countered, gesturing to her swollen stomach. Seven months pregnant, Tony thought his wife was gorgeous, but she didn't always agree. It seemed now was one of those times. "It is because of _you_ that I have gotten sketch marks!"

Tony had to bite back laughter. As funny as her mix-ups were, she was in no mood to be laughed at. "They're called stretch marks Ziva. If I recall correctly, it takes two to tango and you were enjoying yourself at the time. Think of them of badges of honor. In a few months, our baby will be here and I bet they'll matter a whole lot less then."

She glowered at him. Unfazed, Tony just smiled at his hormonal wife. He knew in a moment, she would see he was right. A sigh confirmed his thoughts. She lay down beside him, and he held her against his chest. "No matter how many stretch marks you get I'll still think you are the most gorgeous women ever," he whispered, kissing her forehead. That earned him a soft smile, and they settled down to watch a movie while they fell asleep. Before it was even half over, Ziva was out. Tony turned it off, and relaxed, enjoying holding his wife in the dark. One hand unconsciously rubbed her belly.

It occurred to him as he lay there that for all her skill as an investigator, all her fighting ability, his Ziva was self-conscious. Rarely did she act that way, but her reaction over the changes her body was going through had set off a lightbulb in his brain.

He remembered the first time he had seen her scars. It was shortly after Ziva admitted she was having nightmares. She thought that it would scare him, make him realize that he didn't really want her or the burdens she bore. Tony felt no such thing. The scars didn't lessen her beauty. They made him count his blessings. Each one was a reminder of what they had almost lost.

That night, he had shown her his scars. The silly ones from childhood injuries, the ones he had gotten on as a street cop. The embarrassing ones, the ones with painful memories attached. He recalled how her fingers had brushed over the ones from various shootings, feather-light and gentle.

"We both have scars," Tony had told Ziva that night. "Scars we bear that taught us lessons, experiences that change who we are. If I could go back and prevent these scars from coming into existence, I wouldn't. I regret every day my part in sending you to Somalia, but if that had never happened, would I have ever realized just how much I love you? Would we even be together? Those days when I thought you were dead were some of the worst of my life. It was a wakeup call. I realized during those dark days that I loved you. I wanted you home, and happy. I thought it would never happen, so I wanted someone to pay. When you came home, that was all I wanted, to see you happy. Even if it cost me something, left new scars, I wanted you to be happy. All of those moments led us to each other. The scars are proof of that."

They had held each other for a long time that night, telling the stories of the scars. It had been cathartic, and badly needed. Now, Tony realized that Ziva may know in her heart that he loved her despite the scars, she still needed to be reminded now and again. It was probably the hormones this time.

Tony, being male, couldn't completely understand. But he did know that off all the marks on her body, the newest ones were his favorite. He felt the baby stir under his hands. He never ceased to wonder at the little one who was half him, half the woman he loved so much.

"You listen to me," he whispered to the baby. "Your Ima is the most beautiful, strong and all around amazing woman I have ever met. Someday you'll ask about the scars. Don't let them scare you, sweetheart. Ima is a survivor, and neither of us would be here today without her." The baby kicked his hand and whether that was agreement or not, Tony couldn't tell.

What Tony didn't know was that shortly before he spoke to their unborn child, Ziva had woken up and was listening. When he stopped talking and went to sleep, she stayed awake. It warmed her heart to hear him say such things. It wasn't a surprise, but it was always nice to hear. She knew that while he wouldn't be the same without her, she wouldn't be alive without him. She could never repay what his love had done for her.

His love had lifted her out of her inward despair. He had always been there for her, even when she tried to push him away. Her hope, as she lay next to him, was that she could do the same for him. Ziva felt, deep within her heart, that in some way, the baby they were having was a reward for them. It was the gift they were being given for the times when it seemed they would never make it. As if it was sensing her thoughts, their child began to kick and move and do somersaults inside of her.

_Gift or not, _thought Ziva,_ if this baby does not let me sleep, it will be grounded as soon as it is born!_

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><p><em>Thy love is such that I cannot repay,  the heavens reward thee manifold I pray. / Then while we live in love let us so preserve, / that when we live no more we may live ever. _

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><p><strong>Only one more after this! Since it's almost over, I'm wondering if you guys would be interested in another set of Tiva song based one-shots. They would be based off multiple songs from different genres and probably not in order. Is that something you would like to see? If so, is there something specific that you want me to write about? Thanks a bunch, you guys are great and your reviews always make my day.<br>**


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